Device for handling bowling pins



May 3, 1960 s. FICARA DEVICE FOR HANDLING BOWLING PINS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 2, 1955 INVENTOR. Samuel Ficara ATTY,

y 1960 s. FICARA 2,935,319

DEVICE FOR HANDLING BOWLING PINS Filed NOV. 2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rm I l m \l 1 N a, T V; I I 1 I I J m l l 1 E' a I I 93 l I r l I I l /N l I 00 N I I g ,N

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X m cu DEVICE FOR HANDLING BOWLING PINS Samuel Ficara, Peabody, Mass.

Application November 2, 1955, Serial No. 544,552

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-43) Thisinvention relates to a device for handling bowling pins and is a continuation-in-part of application, Serial Number 403,699, filed by me January 13, 1954, now Patent No. 2,793,858. Although the device of my copending application has been successfully employed for mechanically handling bowling pins, experiments have shown that even better results are available where a fewer number of parts are employed and the installation time reduced to a minimum. Additionally, the use of the machine of my co-pending application is limited because it is particularly constructed and adapted for the game of candlepins. It is therefore within the contemplation of the objects of this invention to provide mechanical apparatus for bowling alleys to handleevery type of bowling pin, including tenpins, duckpins, candlepins, Boston pins and rubber duckpins.

Another object is to provide a device for handling bowling pins embodying a combination of elements which cooperate to insure the segregation and removal to the alley pit of all dead wood lying within and/or overhanging the alley gutter, without disturbing the live wood.

A further object is to provide a device of the character described including a gutter section and pin-handling elements which are installed as a unit, the pin-handling elements for a plurality of alleys being actuated by a single power source to automatically remove dead wood to the alley pit.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following description of the present preferred form of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a bowling alley illustrating the use of the present invention, portions thereof being broken away to disclose details of structure; v

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through one of the gutter sections, taken along the lines 4-4 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of the takeup mechanism forming a part of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a pin-engaging finger forming a part of the present invention; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of a pin-engaging tab forming a part of the present invention, a portion thereof being broken away to disclose structural details.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. l, a bowling alley generally designated 8 including a floor-like surface 9, gutters and a divider 11. Alley surface 9 is adapted to receive a plurality of bowling pins, one of which is indicated at 12. Beneath the surface of alley 9 and gutters 10 are a plurality of spaced, transverse supports designated 13 ite States P n 5 face 9.

7 2 which maintain alley 8 above concrete floor 14. In lieu of the conventional gutters adjacent the alley pit, the pin-handling device of the present invention generally designated 15, is installed on each side of floor-like su'r-' Device 15 includes a concavo-convex gutter section 16 preferably made of sheet metal, which section is constructed to conform to the width and depth of gutter 10. Gutter section 16 is fixedly secured in place by a bracket 17 fixed to support 13 by suitable means 18. To the underside of gutter section 16, at approximately its midpoint is welded a .U-shaped brace 16' which rests on transverse support 13 (see Figs. 2 and 4). Centrally located in the base of gutter section 16 and co-extensive therewith, is a pin conveyor belt 19 preferably of leather which engages a pulley 20 at the pit end of the alley, the pulley being located just below floor-like surface 9. Pulley 29 is driven by a shaft 21 rotated by a conventional motor 22 through a gear box' 22 to move pin conveyor belt 19 in the direction of the alley pit. From pulley 20, belt 19 extends beneath gutter section 16 where it contacts an idler 23, after which it passes between gutter section 16 and brace 16 and engages a second idler 24 which is mounted just below floor-like surface 9 on'a shaft 25. Shaft 25 is floatingly mounted in slots 26 of journal plates 27 which are welded or secured in any other suitable manner in spaced parallel relation to the underside of gutter section 16 remote from the alley pit. Lateral displacement of shaft 25 is prevented by bosses 28 on the terminals thereof. To maintain the desired tension on belt 19, shaft 25 is engaged by a tensioning bolt 29. As shown to advantage in Fig. 5, bolt 29 passes through an opening in a plate 30 which joins the spaced parallel plates 27. Tension on shaft 25 is effected by a coil spring 31 convoluted about the shank of bolt 29 between plate 30 and a nut 32 threadedly engaged with bolt 29. By means of this structure, the desired tension is at all times maintained on pin conveyor belt 19 to insure delivery of the pins within gutter section 16 to the alley pit.

As shown to advantage in Figs. 3 and 4, on each side of pin conveyor belt 19, gutter section 16 is provided with leather strips 34 contiguous and coextensive with gutter section 16 and secured thereto by suitable means 35. These leather strips serve to protect the bowling balls from chipping and also to reduce the noise caused by contact of pins and balls with the gutter section.

Formed integrally with each gutter section 16 and at the edge thereof remote from floor-like surface 9, is a belt guide channel 36 adapted to receive an endless belt 37, a leather V belt having been found satisfactory for this purpose. The upper run of belt 37 is adjacent the top edge of gutter section 16 and, at the pit end of the alley, engages a drive pulley 38 located below the surface of the alley, which pulley, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is mounted on shaft 21 driven by motor 22'.

The lower run of endless belt 37 extends from pulley 38 to an idler pulley 39 located just forward of gutter section 16 and freely rotatable on a shaft 40 which is fixed to the underside of gutter section 16. Endless belt 37 is provided with links 41 which may be readily inserted or removed to etfect the desired tension on belt 37. Fixed to the outer surface of endless belt 37 by suitable means 42 are a pair of spaced pin-engaging tabs 43 designed to engage and move onto conveyor belt 19 dead wood which overhangs the gutter or which lies within the gutter out of engagement with conveyor belt 19. Each pin-engaging tab 43 is constructed of a suitable flexible material such as rubber, the pin-engaging face of which has rubber cleats 44 to provide a friction surface for grippingly engaging pins which it contacts. As shown of tab. 43 upon engagement with a pin. For prop'er op eration of tab 43, rod 45 is bent downwardly to permanently urge the tab into close relationship with gutter section 16, asadvantageously shown in Fig. 3. Tab 43 is thereby prevented from interfering with live wood and is better able to remove dead wood from the gutter.

In order to direct into gutter section 16 dead wood which overhangs the gutter, touching divider 11 and beyond the plane of movement'of the tab, there are provided a plurality of spaced pin-engaging'fingers 46 which are also mounted on endless belt 37 by suitable means 47 in the manner of pin-engaging tabs 43. As shown in Fig.

6, fingers 46 are :preferably of cylindrical conformation and are made of a flexible material such as rubber. The height of fingers 46 is determined after actual installation of the present device, the fingers being trimmed to a height best suited for proper operation in the particular alley.

i As shown in Fig. 1, motor 22 may be employed for operating a plurality of the present devices. This is done by coupling adjacent axially aligned shafts 21jand 21' as indicated at 48. It has been found that a one-quarter horsepower motor is suflicient to operate the belts of ten.

alleys. I

In actual use, the operation of the device of the present invention is the same for all types of bowling, whether it be ten-pins, duckpins, candlepins, Boston pins or rubber duckpins. Motor 22 is actuated to continuously move conveyor belts 19and endless belts 37 of all the coupled units. By the cooperation of fingers 46, pin-engaging tabs 43 and conveyor belt 19, any dead wood which overhangs gutter section 16 or lies within it, will be automatically carried to the alley pit. Tabs 43 are so constructed and positioned that they will engage and move any pin or pins within their path, whether there are double pins within the gutter out of engagement with conveyor belt 19, or whether a pin lies partially on the floor-like surface 9 and dips down into gutter 16 to declare itself dead. In the latter instance, it has been found that tabs '43 will pivot the fallen pin until it drops into the gutter section 16 and onto conveyor belt 19,'this movement being accomplished without disturbing any live'wood. Illustrative of the function'of fingers 46 is the situationwhere a pin lies across the gutter section 16 touching divider 11 and therefore out of the path of pin tab 43. Finger 46 pushes one end of the pin until it also falls into gutter section 16 whereupon it is conveyed to the pit by conveyor belt 19 acting either alone or in conjunction with pin-engaging tab 43. Any live wood" which overhangs gutter section 16 (in the game of candlepins) will not be touched by either pin-engaging tabs 43.

or pin-engaging fingers 46. V

Itshould be noted that, in addition to the above function of gutter sections 16, the concave-convex contour thereof is instrumental in allowing replay of pins which are knocked into the gutter section. Contrary to other types of gutters, there is a chance that, instead of being trapped when it falls into a gutter, a pin will rebound onto floor-like surface 9 of the alley.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that various changes may be made therein, Without departing from thescope of the appended claims;

. What I claim is:

1. In combination with a bowling alley including a floor-like surface, gutters, alley dividers and a pit, means within each of said gutters adjacentthe pit for delivering pins to the pit, fingers'mounted adjacent one edge of each gutter and movable in the direction of the pit, said fingersextending vertically above the top edge of the gutters to engage and directinto contact with said pin -delivering means dead wood lying across the gutters and engaging the alley dividers, and endless means for moving said fingers in the direction of the alleypit.

2. A device for handling bowling pins including a gutter section near the pitend of the alley, a conveyor belt mounted in the base of said gutter section for conveying pins lying therein to the pit, an endless belt mounted adjacent toand movable lengthwise with respect to said gutter section, a substantially flat tab fixed to said endless belt, a portion of said tab beingdisposed within thefconfi'nes of the gutter section in proximate relationship to the pin-engaging surface thereof, the tab being so located to engage and direct, onto said conveyor belt, dead wood lying wholly or partiallywithin said gutter section without disturbing live wood partially overhanging the gutter section, and means connected to said belts for actuating the latter in the direction of the pit.

3. A device as set out in claim 2 with the addition of fingers extending vertically from the top of the endless belt, said fingers being of predetermined height and adapted for engagement with dead wood lying across the gutter section beyond the plane of movement of the tab.'

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,375,835 Fairchild Apr. 26, 1921 1,586,831 Murphy June 1, 1926 1,692,796 Bishop Nov. 20, 1928 1,806,274 Williams May 19, 1931 2,310,218 Davis Feb. 9, 1943 2,793,858 Ficara May 28, 1957' 

